The following review was originally published in Mephisto 64 and translated from German (find orignal German review below).

The Cainite Conspiracies

The Cainite Conspiracies is an anthology of short stories from the world of Vampire: The Dark Ages. Not surprisingly, each clan gets its own short story, which illuminates the atmosphere of a clan, its secrets or even the intrigues and conflicts of the medieval nights with the help of a well-chosen character.

The stories are as different as the clans themselves, and the way the story is told also varies considerably. Thus some examples illustrate vividly the conflicts between the clans and the intrigues at the medieval courts, while others refer to great events in the past and in the future. In the case of the Assamites, there is even a tale of an event that has serious implications for the entire clan.

As different as the themes and the narrative styles are, as different is the quality of the stories from my point of view. Some of the short stories immediately captivate the reader and build up suspense, others don't really make a connection to the protagonist. The portrayal of the medieval world of vampires is also varied. Sometimes the setting seems comparatively generic, sometimes historical elements and places are deliberately included.

The Cainite Conspiracies manages to provide a pretty good insight into the world of vampires in the Middle Ages and is an entertaining reading, but not essential for the game.